Shipbuilding staging



Dec. 28, 1943. Q NHLLER 2,337,674

SHIP BUILDING STAGING Fild 0011. 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill-1115-1 INVENVI'OR' Dec. 28, 1943. c. w. MlLLER, 2,

SHIP BUILDING STAGING- Filed Oct. 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dec. 28, 1943 c. w. MILLER SHIP BUILDING STAGING Filed oct. 16. 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I LL WQS' Dec; 28, 1943. I Q W, MILLER 2,337,674

SHIP BUILDING STAGING Filed Oct. 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7/ i ii/7 INVENTOR BY '45 M QQWQ Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIPBUILDING STAGING Clarence W. Miller, El Cerrito, Calif.

Application October 16, 1942, Serial No. 462,274

10 Claims.

This invention relates to staging used by workmen in the erection of structures which rise beyond convenient reach of the workmen, above the level of the ground.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in staging such as is used in ship construction, staging sections which may be moved aside to clear the ways, so as to permit launching of the ship, and thereafter to be moved back to their original positions so as to serve in the construction of successive ships.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel structure for transporting movable sections of ship construction staging between the extremes of movement of said sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for anchoring movable sections of staging to the ground which functions, both while the staging sections are at rest and during movement thereof, to prevent any tipping movements of the sections.

The invention posseses other objects and features of advantage which will become apparent, to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, as the detailed description of the preferred form of the invention hereunto annexed proceeds. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various other embodiments thereof may be employed which come within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the stern portion of a ships hull, on the ways and under construction, showing the improved staging of my invention in working position therearound.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the staging sections moved aside to clear the ways so as to provide an unobstructed launching path for the ships hull.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental top plan view of a portion of the staging showing one unit of the carriage structure and its track.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the hold-down keys.

In ship construction it is necessary, as the I erection of the hull proceeds, to provide staging completely surrounding the construction area and comprising platforms or walks situated at difierent elevations from which the workmen may operate in performing the various tasks of fitting, plate hanging, riveting, welding, caulking and the like. These stagings, particularly those built around the stern of the hull, are often quite complicated and require considerable time and labor to erect. Prior to the launching of a completed hull it is necessary, in the case of one which is to be launched stern first, to dismantle and remove all staging which protrudes within the clearance path necessary to provide free movement of the hull into the water and, in the case of one which is to be launched sidewise, to remove all staging extending along the side of the hull nearest the water, together with portions of the staging constructed around the bow and stern.

These diiferent portions of the staging, after the launching, must be rebuilt to serve in the construction of the succeeding hull, and, besides requiring large quantities of time and labor, it is often necessary to provide considerable amounts of new construction material to replace that damaged or misplaced during the dismantling operations.

I have overcome these difiiculties by providing staging sections of a relatively permanent nature which, prior to a launching, may be readily moved to positions clearing the hull, so as to permit unobstructed passage of the latter from the ways, and, after the launching, may then be moved back to their original positions so as to serve in the construction work of the following hull. I have also provided an emcient carriage construction for transporting the movable staging sections and have further provided means for stabilizing the sections against undesired or abnormal movements.

In the drawings, I have shown the stern portion of a ships hull 8 which is under construction on the launching ways 9. For purposes of simplicity in the drawings, the cradle, in which the hull 8 is nested and which forms the carriage for conveying the hull along the ways during the launching, has been omitted. The set-up will be recognized by one skilled in the art as one in which the hull 8 is to be launched stern first, such being the system most commonly employed in shipbuilding. I

Rising from the ground and extending along opposite sides of the hull 8 are permanent side staging frames ll, each carrying one or several stages l2, arranged at different elevations vertically of the hull, and terminating at their rearward ends, relative to the length of the hull, at the points where the parallel sides of the hull start their inward sweep around the stern. These side stagings may be constructed of heavy ti bers and boards as is the usual practice, but it is preferable, since they do not interfere with launching operations and are therefore of a per manent nature, to construct the framing H of structural steel bars, the stages E2, of course, being constructed of heavy wooden planks.

In Figure l, I have shown in its working position, the staging which extends around the stern of the hull. This staging comprises a pair of symmetrical and identical frame sections of curved formation, generally indicated by the numeral is, each of which starts in an abutting relation with the rearward. end of a side frame H, sweeps around the stern, following the general contour thereof, and terminates in abutting relation with the other frame section at the vertical medial axis of the hull. Each frame section comprises two or more base bars is, from which rise posts It carrying cross-members suitable diagonal bracing bars l8 which impart rigidity to the frame section.

The uppermost one or more stages it, above the plane where the stern starts its inward and downward sweep, rest on shortercross members 2| whose inner ends are attached to outwardly bent upper end portions 22 of the inner set of posts E8. The next lower stages 23, which are positioned beneath the overhang of the stern, may be supported on inward extensions 2% of some of the cross-members ll and may take a more complicated form than the simple straight form shown as a matter of example in the drawings. For convenience, it is well to horizontally aline the stages l9 and 23 with the side stages i2."

Means is provided whereby the staging frame sections may be moved transversely of the ways 9 so as to clear the latter, and the greatest lateral projection of the hull, in order to provide an unobstructed launching path for the hull The abutting ends of each staging frame section i3 and side frame ii are connected together, at their outer, preferably lower, corners, by hinges 26 which form pivot centersfor the frame sections and radially spaced tracks, generally indicated by the numeral 21, are provided, each having its center of curvature coinciding with the pivotal axis of a hinge 26.

Suitable base timbers 23 are provided underlying the tracks 21, the portions 29 of the base timbers which overlie the ways 9 being separate from the base timbers 28 and removable as are the sections of track 3i which overlie the ways. Each staging frame section i3 is provided with sets of carriage wheels 32 which roll on the tracks. When in their operating positions, as shown in Figure 1, the abutting ends of staging frame sections, which meet at the vertical medial centerllne of the hull 8, are secured together by means of bolts 33 which pass through apertured clips 3d attached to the outer sides of the confronting corner posts Is, which attachment means will secure the staging frame sections together securely against relativemovement.

When the hull B is ready for launching, the bolts 33 are removed and the staging frame sections are moved aside as shown in Figure 2. After the staging frame sections have been moved aside, the base timber sections 29, together with their attached track sections 3!, are also removed, thus clearing the ways 9 and providing an H andv unobstructed path for the hull as the latter slides into the water.

After launching of the hull, the base timber sections 29 and track sections are replaced, the staging frame sections 53 are again moved together, into the positions they occupy in Figure 1, and the bolts are replaced, thus conditioning the staging for service in the constructon of the succeeding null. These operations consume only a small --aotion of the time and require but a negligible proportion of the labor required to dismantle and reconstruct the staging according to the pres nt practice.

The tracks 2? and Si may be construe ed in one of several ways, that which is shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive being the most desirable, due to its simplicity. tracl: comprises a steel base plate 2i: above Wl'liCh is positioned a pair of side bars s., shown as 2 bars having base flanges 33 and narrower upper flanges 39 whose function will be presently described. While the 2 bars shown provide the simplest construction, it is also possible tornalre the bars 31 of channel iron, the flange 32 being then provided by a metal bar or strip bolted, or otherwise secured, to the upper flange of the channel bar. The tracks are secured to the base timbers 23 and 29 by lag screws ii or the lie, which pass through alined apertures provided therefor in the base plates 35 and the flanges 38 of the 2 bars.

The carriage wheels a spaced pair of which is provided for each track under each of the staging frame sections 58, are journaled on axles I a2 which pass through apertures provided in suitable supporting bars attached to the base bars id, the axles being retained in position by means of washers i l cotter pins 56, or in any other suitable manner.

The axis of each aisle d2 intersects the axis of a hinge 25, so thatthe parallel fiat sides of the carriage wheels are tangent to the curvature of the tracks. 'It will be understood that this their mountings, it being contemplated. to use such ball or roller bearings in the actual construction of my apparatus.

Means is provided for anchoring the movable staging frame sections it to the tracks so as to revent any tipping movements of the frame sections and yet provide free movement of the frame sections along the tracks whenever movement of the frame sections is desired. The flat sides of each carriage wheel 32 are provided with annular grooves il which are concentric with the axle 62, the side of the groove, of smaller radius, being tangent with the lower surface of the track flange 39.

A hold-down key shown in Figure 7 and formed as a chordal section of a cylinder, is provided seated in each groove ii, the curved surface 29 of the key conforming with and engaging the side of the groove d2 of greatest radius, and

the flat surface at of the key extending beneath the lower surface of the track flange ll and also bearing against the side of the groove '31 of least radius.

The dimensions of the hey are, of course, such that it .will form a sliding fit circumferentially along the groove fill, will also freely slide along the track below a flange 39 thereof. Any tipping movements of the staging frame sections will be resisted by the hold-down keys, since they lock the carriage wheels to the tracks, but rolling movements of the carriage wheels along the tracks are unresisted, due to the fact that the hold-down keys are freely slidable in the grooves 31 and with respect to the track flanges 39.

Although this arrangement would entail the removal of a greater length of track to clear the ways, than the arrangement shown in the drawings, it would still save a great deal of the time and labor necessary to dismantle and reconstruct the staging, as is done at the present time.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In staging surrounding a ship under construction, a separate section of said staging extending, in its normal position, across the ways and forming an obstruction within the clear launching path of said ship, said separate section of the staging being movable into an abnormal position exteriorly of said clear launching path of the ship, guides extending between said normal and abnormal positions, including portions overlying said ways, said portions overlying the ways being separable from the ways so as to clear the launching path of the ship, and means, carried by said separate section of the staging, engaging said guides.

2. In staging, used in ship construction, a. pair of staging sections separate from each other and from other portions of the staging structure, said separate staging sections lying in adjacent relationship across the ways and forming obstructions within the clear launching path of the ship, means securing said separate staging sections together in adjacent relationship, carriages on said separate staging sections, horizontal guides overlying said ways engaged by said carriages and along which said separate staging sections may be moved from the positions thereof within the clear launching path of the ship to positions lying exteriorly of said path, and means for limiting movements of said carriages to paths parallel to said horizontal guides.

3. In staging, used in ship construction, a pair of staging sections separate from each other and from other portions of the staging structure, said separate staging sections lying in adjacent relationship across the ways and forming obstructions within the clear launching path of the ship, means securing said separate staging sections together in adjacent relationship, carriage wheels on said separate staging sections, horizontal tracks overlying said ways engaged by said carriage wheels and along which said separate staging sections may be moved from the positions thereof within the clear launching path of the ship to positions lying exteriorly of said path, and means engaging said tracks and carriage wheels, respectively, for limiting vertical movements of said carriage wheels relative to said tracks.

4. In staging, used in ship construction, a pair i of staging sections separate from each other and from other portions of the staging structure, said separate staging sections lying in adjacent relationship across the ways and forming obstructions within the clear launching path of the ship, means securing said separate staging sections together in adjacent relationship, carriage wheels on said separate staging sections, horizontal tracks having portions thereof overlying said ways, said portions of the tracks overlying the ways being separable from other portions of the tracks and removable'so as to render'the clear launching path of the ship unobstructed, said separate staging sections being movable on said carriage wheels beyond the clear launching path of the ship, and means locking said carriage wheels to said tracks in a vertical direction although permitting free relative movements between the carriage wheels and tracks in a horizontal direction.

5. In staging, used in ship construction, a pair of staging sections separate from each other and from other portions of the staging structure, said separate staging sections lying in adjacent relationship across the ways and formin obstructions within the clear launching path of the ship, means securing said separate staging sections together in adjacent relationship, carriage wheels on said separate staging sections, horizontal tracks having portions thereof overlying said ways and forming obstructions within the clear launching path of said ship, said portions of the tracks overlying the ways being removable and detachable from other portions of the tracks, so as to clear said launching path of the ship and said tracks each comprising a pair of parallel rails having protruding flanges, said separate staging sections being movable along said tracks into positions lying exteriorly of said clear launching path of the ship, and means interposed between said carriage wheels and said track rails and engaging said protrudin flanges thereof for locking the carriage wheels to the rails against relative vertical movement.

6. In staging, used in ship construction, a pair of staging sections separate from each other and from other portions of the staging structure, said separate staging sections lying in adjacent relationship across the ways and forming obstructions within the clear launching path of the ship, means securing said separate staging sections together in adjacent relationship, tracks extending from points within the clear launching path of the ship to positions exteriorly of said path, carriage wheels journaled on said separate staging sections engaging said tracks by means of which said separate staging sections may be moved to positions outside of the said clear launching path of the ship, said carriage wheels each having thereon at least one concentric circular groove, each of said tracks comprising parallel rail bars each having a protruding flange directed toward a carriage wheel, and a hold-down key slidably engaged in each circular groove of a carriage Wheel and extending below the protruding flange of an adjacent rail bar.

7. A staging for surrounding a ship under construction upon ways comprising permanent side sections having stage portions and arranged on opposite sides of and parallel with said ways, a pair of stem sections having stage portions complemental to those of the side sections, and means for hingedly connecting one end of each stern section with the rear end of a side section, said stern sections being movable to closed position across said ways and beneath the stern of the ship, and to positions away from the ways so as to clear the ship for launching.

8. A staging for surrounding a ship under construction upon ways comprising permanent side sections each having stage portions, and arranged on opposite sides of and parallel with said ways, a pair of similar curved stern sections each having stage portions complemental to those of the side sections, and means for hingedly connecting one end of each stern section with the rear end of a side section, said stern sections being movable to closed position across the Ways beneath the stern of the ship, and intoabutted end relation, and to positions away from the Ways so as to clear the ship for launching.

9. A staging for surrounding a ship under construction upon Ways comprising permanent side sections having stage poi ions and arranged on opposite sides of and parallel with said Ways, a pair of stern sections having stage portions cornplemental to those of the side sections, means for hingedly connecting one end of each stern section with the rear end of a side section, said stern sections being movable to closed position across said. ways and beneath the stern of the ship, and to positions away from the Ways so as to clear the ship for launching, and a plurality of curved tracks supporting each stern section, the tracks for each stern section being concentric with the hinged connection of the latter With its side section.

10. A staging for surrounding a ship under construction upon Ways comprising permanent side sections having stage portions and arranged on opposite sides of and parallel with said ways, a pair of stern sections having stage portions complemented to those of the side sections, means for hingedly connecting one end of each stern section with the rear end of a side section, said stern sections being movable to closed position across said Ways and beneath the stern of the ship, and to positions away from the Ways so as to clear the ship for launching, and a plurality of curved tracks supporting each stern section, the tracks for each stern section being concentric with the hinged connection of the latter With its side section, each curved track having a removable portion extending across the Ways.

CLARENCE W. MILLER. 

